


The Numinous Sky

by Little_Miss_Bunny



Category: Haikyuu!!, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Adorable Sawada Tsunayoshi, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Sports, BAMF Lavina, BAMF Sawada Nana, BAMF Women, Competition, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Just cool moms, Minor Sawada Tsunayoshi/Everyone, Smart Sawada Tsunayoshi, Teen Arcobaleno, Teen Varia, Training, Volleyball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-06 06:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14636094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Miss_Bunny/pseuds/Little_Miss_Bunny
Summary: "Numinous (adj.) – filled with a sense of the presence of divinity"Tsuna loved volleyball ever since he watched his mother's old matches back in the day. For years, he dreamt of playing on the court with a team he could count on, a team he could call his own.It was long due for the Namimori High Men's Volleyball team to make a comeback anyway.Cross-posted from FF.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, can you toss that to me?” 

Stopping short in his step, Takeshi blinked. He just happened to pass by a middle school field when the other second-grader called out to him. A dirty volleyball lightly bumped his skinny ankle. He raised it in the air. “This?” 

The smaller boy nodded, beaming. “Yeah!” 

Despite the boy’s smaller stature, Takeshi knew an athlete when he saw one. He wasn’t a baseball maniac for nothing, and his mom used to be an awesome volleyball player too! Takeshi grinned. Anyone one who played sports was a friend on his list! 

He nodded. “Okay!” 

Pulling his arm back as if he was throwing a pitch, Takeshi realized his mistake far too late. He rubbed the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. “Sorry, I was thinking about…baseball…” 

His eyes widened when the boy sprinted across the field. He was fast, _really_ fast. His short legs looked like they were working overdrive and his eyes were trained on the sailing ball. Under the light, they looked more amber than brown. It was almost scary. Takeshi saw that same look in his mom when he watched her old volleyball matches. 

Finally, as the volleyball descended, the boy dove on the ground, his short arm barely reaching the ball. It sailed back in the air before falling a few feet away, rolling for a few seconds. Pouting, the boy looked over his shoulder. “Mou, it never goes far enough.” He stood up, dusting off his dirty shirt and pants. Streaks of dirt painted his chubby cheeks and arms. 

All Takeshi could think about was the boy running across the field. The more he thought about it, the more his heart picked up its own pace. He had never felt like this before about anything other than baseball. Sure, his mom would always ask him if he wanted to give volleyball a try but baseball was his first love. 

“—ou there?” The other boy’s voice snapped Takeshi out of his thoughts. 

Takeshi blinked, staring at the brunet in front of him. _I’m taller_ , Takeshi realized. 

“That was so cool!” he blurted out, flailing his arms in the air. “You were here and then you were suddenly over there! Like—Like Ultraman!” 

Blushing, the brunet scratched his cheek. “Ah, well, I, uh, thank you.” 

“What’s your name? I’m Takeshi! I just moved here yesterday.”

The brunet grinned. “I’m Tsuna! I’ve lived in Namimori for as long as I can remember.” 

They both laughed. It felt really nice, Takeshi thought. He didn’t feel as alone anymore. Moving away from his friends wasn’t fun but making new friends could be! 

Tsuna glanced at the setting sun with a frown. “Oh, I have to go back home. Mama will get worried.” 

Takeshi frowned. He didn’t want to leave yet but his parents would get worried if he stayed out too long, too. “Oh, okay.” 

“Where do you live?” Tsuna said, his eyes brightening. “I can walk you there so you don’t get lost.” 

Takeshi instantly beamed. “Thanks! It took forever for me to find the grocery store. I don’t know why my mom told me to go since I’m not that good with directions. But she sometimes forgets that too.” 

Tsuna gave him a thumbs-up. “Alright, let’s go! Do you remember the neighborhood?” 

“I think it started with a M? I know it’s near Kokuyo.” 

“There’s only two other neighborhoods around Kokuyo. I live in Midori.” 

“Yeah, that one! I live there!” 

Tsuna was literally bouncing on his toes. “Really? I hope we’re neighbors!”

They started walking towards Midori with Tsuna leading the way. Tsuna was a really good listener, almost like his mom. It was weird but he kind of felt like home. Sure, Takeshi missed his friends back in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture—Namimori was pretty far in the Yamanashi Prefecture, which was right next to the Tokyo Prefecture—but he didn’t mind making new ones here. And he had a feeling Tsuna would be just that. 

“Hey, Tsuna,” Takeshi said, “why are you alone? Did your friends leave early or something?” 

Tsuna’s face fell, making Takeshi’s stomach feel a little queasy. “Well, uh, I don’t…have any friends?” 

Takeshi blinked. “Eh?” How could no one want to be friends with Tsuna? He was nice and funny. Were there not a lot of kids in Namimori? 

“Ah, look we’re almost there!” Tsuna said quickly. “See, it’s not that far! Do you see your house?” 

Takeshi frowned. It was true. They were getting closer to the familiar neighborhood and he could already see his house in the distance, a big building painted in beige. It belonged to his mom’s family before it was “put up in the market” as his dad said. They had moved here to keep the house; plus, both of his parents missed Namimori, even though he’d never heard about it.

“That’s mine,” Takeshi said, pointing it out. 

Tsuna grinned. “My house is right next to it! I didn’t know it was you moving in!” 

Takeshi’s shoulders relaxed a little. His new friend was his neighbor—awesome! That’d make things easier. He didn’t have to get lost trying to find him tomorrow! 

Tsuna walked Takeshi home first, even though his was closer. He played with the hem of his shirt as they stood outside the small house gate. “I’ll see you again, right? But you don’t have to if you don’t want to! I mean, we don’t have to meet again ever again if that’s what you want. I’ll understand. I can be…weird sometimes.” 

Takeshi grinned in hopes of making Tsuna smile again. “You’re not weird! I want to see you again! Besides, we’re friends! Friends always see each other again!” 

His heart nearly stopped when Tsuna looked up with wide eyes. He’d never felt so proud for cheering someone up before. 

“Really?” Tsuna said, his voice cracking. “We’re really friends?” 

Takeshi ruffled his fluffy hair, which felt soft underneath his hand. Tsuna squawked indignantly from the sudden contact, drawing a laugh from the taller boy. “Yeah, we’re friends.” 

Tsuna grinned. “Okay. I…really like that!” 

“I’ll see you around, Tsuna!”

“I’ll see you, Takeshi!”

Ringing his doorbell, Takeshi waited for his mother to open the door. He didn’t miss Tsuna waving at him and disappearing inside his own home. He smiled.

Maybe Namimori wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like, volleyball + KHR = epicness. :^)
> 
> Also, guess who Takeshi's old friends are. ;^)


	2. Chapter 2

_“Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.”_ – Laird Hamilton 

* * *

The cold morning air was a nice burn for his lungs. 

Ryohei jogged through the hilly streets of Namimori, a routine he enjoyed immensely. There was no time for thinking and he could easily lose himself in the moment. It was about the crack of dawn, just in time for people to wake up. 

All he had in mind were boxing, training, boxing, training. They were something that his father drilled in his head since he learned how to walk, and he pushed forward as if everything he had was on the line.

“Onii-san!” a bright voice shouted in the distance. 

Ryohei grinned when a familiar brunet came around the street corner, catching up easily with his pace. “Sawada!” 

Tsuna smiled. “Good morning!”

They soon fell into a comfortable silence as they ran up the narrow, steep steps to a local shrine. Ryohei started jabbing the air with swift punches, keeping a steady count, while they climbed higher and higher. He didn’t know how he and Tsuna became jogging partners but he wasn’t complaining. It was nice to have some company and the brunet had an extreme work ethic. Tsuna even ran with him to the end of his route and back. 

It had already been a few months but Ryohei grew quickly fond of Tsuna. His mother was a formidable athlete, a former member of the national women’s volleyball team, and helped Japan secure third place in the Volleyball Women’s World Championship seven years ago. Other than that, Ryohei didn’t actually know Tsuna that well—he was too busy training and missed a lot of school with all the boxing competitions his father signed him up for out of town. What he did know was that Tsuna was just as obsessed with volleyball as Ryohei was with boxing. 

“Oh, Onii-san,” Tsuna said. “You have another competition on Saturday, right?”

Ryohei grinned. “Yeah! It’s in Tokyo! I’m extremely excited! It’s the group stages before the junior nationals!” 

Tsuna widened his eyes. “That’s so cool! You’re really going to nationals, Onii-san?” 

“Of course! I’ll make it there to the extreme and come back with the gold!” 

_You have to_ , his father’s voice whispered in the back of his head.

Ryohei slightly faltered in his step but quickly regained his footing. If he didn’t make it in nationals, he didn’t know what his father would think. Heck, what would Namimori think? He was their boxing star, their athletic prodigy who made a few headlines in the bigger cities. If he didn’t make it and get the gold, there was no point anymore.

“Of course!” Tsuna said, grinning. “Because Onii-san is the best boxer I know!”

Ryohei smiled and ruffled Tsuna’s sweaty hair. “Thanks, Sawada.” 

Tsuna tilted his head, unaccustomed to Ryohei’s softer tone, but didn’t question it. Instead, he swatted Ryohei’s hand playfully and pouted. “Stop that, Onii-san. Too many people keep touching my hair nowadays. It’s annoying.” 

Ryohei barked out laughing. “Hey, Sawada, why don’t you join the boxing club? It’ll be extremely great!”

“Eh, our school doesn’t have a boxing club. Can we even get one?” 

“I was planning on making one soon!”

“You’re only a third-grader!” 

“Anyone can do boxing—nothing matters when you have the skills for it! Come on, Sawada, it’ll be fun! You’re an extremely good athlete!”

“Wow, that sounds like something from a movie! You’re so cool, Onii-san!” Tsuna paused. “Thank you, but I was thinking of joining the volleyball club.”

“Eh? Why not come to boxing instead? It’s an extreme sport and cooler than volleyball!”

Tsuna grinned. “That’s because you started with boxing! I love volleyball because it’s a team sport! With boxing, it gets lonely in the ring, I think. I want to play with my friends on the court! It’ll be more fun that way1” An awed look overcame his eyes, making Ryohei’s breath hitch. “My dream is to play on the court with a team like Mama’s! You should watch some of her videos! When the ball goes all the way across the net and people are diving everywhere—it’s so cool! And the crowd always goes wild when a point scores! I think that’s the best feeling in the world.” 

Ryohei couldn’t help but smile. Tsuna’s enthusiasm was extremely contagious. He reached over and ruffled his hair again.

“Onii-san!” Tsuna said. 

“Come on, Sawada! We still need to go another mile! Let’s go to the extreme together!” 

Tsuna grinned. “Okay! Let’s go!” 

Ryohei could get used to this routine. It was a nice constant in his life, somewhere outside of the ring. If only he could talk about boxing like Tsuna did with volleyball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryohei! :^D
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


	3. Chapter 3

_“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”_ – Hellen Keller

* * *

Namimori was ruled over by its founding family: the Hibari Clan. It was no secret that they were part of the yakuza, but no one said anything about it. Besides, the Hibari Clan was their guardian. No point in fighting against the ones protecting them.

Hibari had been raised to be the best there was from a very young age. He excelled in academics and was already attending Yumei Private High School at ten-years-old; his father took him to some meetings in Tokyo with other yakuza families where he quickly learned how to intimidate and the benefits of power, his mother drilled proper etiquette in his head until he couldn’t pour any more tea from the strain in his arms, and his aunt trained him since he could walk. Now he could beat men twice his size without breaking a sweat.

He was the perfect heir, content with his relatively quiet life. There were no obstacles—he’d plow through them anyway—or disturbances. Just stability and a steady, sure pace.

Until a volleyball soared over his house gates and plopped in the koi pond.

Hibari’s eye twitched as the ball bobbed up and down in the clear water, startling the fish. His aunt, the only other person at home, chuckled behind her fan. 

“It must be the neighborhood kids,” she said. “Why don’t you return it, Kyoya?”

Hibari glared at her. “It’s their fault.”

Yume rolled her eyes. “How petty.”

“—eshi, why’d you throw it that far?” a voice said outside the gates. “I’ll never get it back!”

Another boy laughed. “Sorry, Tsuna! It was a cool pitch though!”

“It’s not a baseball! You don’t throw it like that! How will I get it back? This is Hibari-san’s house!”

“Why don’t we just ring the doorbell?”

“Because this is Hibari-san’s house!”

“So? Their doorbell’s probably working.”

His friend sighed. “They basically own Namimori.” He lowered his voice to a whisper but Hibari and his aunt could still hear what he was saying. “Everyone thinks they’re yakuza and I think they are.”

“Really? That’s so cool!”

Yume snorted before snapping her fan close. “Kyoya”—She kicked him out of his spot. Hibari didn’t even spare a thought about her grace—“answer the door.”

Hibari just glared at her, silently vowing to not hold back in their evening training sessions—he would break _bones_ , which was impossible with his aunt, but he’d try—and stood up with as much dignity as he could muster. Dusting off his gray kimono, he headed towards the gates.

The bickering boys immediately stopped when he opened the door halfway. Hibari scowled at the two boys in front of him. One was taller than he was with black hair and brown eyes, but that didn’t deter him. Hibari could handle any herbivore. The other one was shorter than them both with strangely fluffy brown hair and big brown eyes. He reminded Hibari of a bunny.

“Oh, uh, Hibari-san!” the bunny said. “I didn’t know you were home…”

It was clear that the brunet was afraid of Hibari, but there was a hint of admiration and curiosity in his eyes that disturbed him.

“Hi!” the tall boy said with a friendly smile. “I’m Yamamoto Takeshi! I just moved here a few weeks ago.”

Hibari didn’t bother with the introductions. His mother would castrate him but she wasn’t here. Sue him. “What do you want, herbivore?”

Yamamoto blinked but the easy smile still remained on his face. “Herbivore? I eat meat, too.”

“Can we get my volleyball back, Hibari-san?” the bunny said, fidgeting under Hibari’s sharp gaze. “I’m so sorry but Takeshi threw it too far and we didn’t realize that your house was so close by and—”

The bunny wilted. His lips trembled as he looked down at his dirty sneakers. On the other hand, there was a slight shift in Yamamoto’s demeanor; it was so subtle that for a second, Hibari thought he had misread him. There was an underlying ferocity within the other boy masked by bright smiles and an easygoing nature, like the perfect predator luring in unsuspecting prey.

Was that why he was with this bunny? Hibari thought. To ensnare him at the right moment? Or was it protecting him? Nonetheless, he may have to keep an eye out on them.

“Did the ball hit anything?” Yamamoto said.

“No,” was Hibari’s curt response. If it did, he wouldn’t hesitate to bite the culprits to death; then he’d be bitten to death by his mother. She was an extremely materialistic person, and Hibari could recite all the price tags on their property without a second thought.

“Then why won’t you just give it to us? Tsuna said he was sorry.”

So the bunny was Sawada Tsunayoshi. There was only one person in Namimori with that name and it wasn’t hard to know who his mother was. She was practically revered for her past athleticism in… _volleyball_. Hibari wrinkled his nose in distaste. He despised the sport.

Tsuna sighed. “It’s okay, Takeshi. I think I have some extra allowance to buy another one.”

“That was your first volleyball though,” Yamamoto said.

Tsuna shook his hands in the air. “I could always get another one. Don’t worry about it!” He looked at Hibari with sad eyes. Hibari denied any disappointment on making him unhappy. It was his friend’s fault. “I’m really sorry, Hibari-san. I hope nothing got damaged.” He bowed. “Have a nice day. Come on, Takeshi. I need to get my wallet.”

Hibari closed the door with more force than necessary. He glanced at the floating volleyball in distaste. Despite being wet, it was clearly worn. Picking it up, he chucked it at his aunt. Yume caught it easily with a giggle.

“My, my, Kyoya,” she said. “How rude of you. They seemed like nice boys. Tsuna’s quite an adorable child too.” She tapped her fan lightly on her pink lips. “Doesn’t he remind you of, I don’t know, a baby bunny?”

“Be quiet, carnivore,” Hibari said, sitting back down on his usual spot.

“This is why you’ll be forever alone,” Yume said. “You do know that your mother wants grandchildren, right? And stop scowling. You’re going to get premature wrinkles.”

Hibari glared at her, but she wasn’t fazed. He looked at the volleyball in her hand with pursed lips. “Throw it away.”

Raising a brow, Yume threw it back at him. “It’s not my problem. You do it.”

Hibari clenched the ball tightly in his hands, his fingertips turning white from the pressure. Volleyball was beneath the Hibari family. It took his cousin, Fon, away from home. His older cousin had grown up with him ever since he could remember. He was a worthy carnivore in his own right, but more of an omnivore. Fon was (frustratingly) a pacifist despite his tremendous talent. Instead, he got into volleyball of all things after going abroad to visit a pen pal. Then, he left to pursue it.

It was petty of Hibari to hate something so much irrationally. No, it _was_ rational. Volleyball took the only tolerant person in his life away from him. If there was one thing Fon was good at, it was being better than him in everything, including temperament. So what if Hibari was too bloodthirsty at a young age? It was kill or be killed in the world.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Yume’s soft voice drifted in the air.

Hibari tensed but didn’t give his aunt the satisfaction of looking at his face. He wasn’t willing to have his pride stripped down even further.

“He’s very happy, Kyoya,” Yume said, as if she was talking about the weather. “He’s doing what he wants to do.”

“He’s not worthy of being the heir,” Hibari spat.

“That’s why we have you.” Yume regarded him with unreadable eyes. “Is there something you’d like to tell me, Kyoya?”

Hibari frowned, not granting her a response. Standing up, he left his aunt without looking back, walking towards his room, which was in the more secluded east wing. On the way, he dumped the volleyball in the trash.

He wanted Fon to come back so he could bite him to death for leaving. What about me? a small part of him whispered, as he shifted through some small business deals. Hibari gritted his teeth. No, he was a _carnivore_. There was no room for weakness. If there was one thing Fon’s departure had taught him, it was that there was no one to look out for you except yourself.

And Hibari was more than capable in doing that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hibari, the bitter cinnamon roll, haha.
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


	4. Chapter 4

_“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.”_ – Michael J. Fox

* * *

Mukuro never denied the fact that he was a spoiled child. His mother was a rich Italian heiress and his father had owned one of the largest companies in Japan. What more could he ever want?

He definitely didn’t want Nagi. She had been a “pleasant” surprise to his mother but nonetheless doted on while she grew in her womb. It was unexpected, it was irritating, and it was dreadful.

As soon as Nagi was born, Mukuro made sure that her life was sweet, sweet hell. He’d steal all her toys, cut her favorite blankets with scissors, and mutilated her dolls. When she got older enough to talk, he’d make sure his parents focused on him and only him just so he could rub it in her chubby face and relish the confusion in her large, doe-like eyes. She wasn’t cute. She was hideous.

However, he made one mistake—he misjudged his parents’ awareness.

His mother was a soft-spoken woman, which Nagi inherited, but she was ruthless underneath her deceivingly sweet appearance (Mukuro was always proud to say he took after her in that aspect). She separated them when they got older and made sure to hug and kiss Nagi in front of the older boy, which only made Mukuro angrier. His father had sat him down and lectured him on family and more insignificant things that he didn’t bother to listen to. However, Hiro was stubborn and dragged him out on those father-son outings that required too much sweat and running anyways.

Mukuro soon regretted not appreciating his kind father more.

In an instant, Hiro was taken from them because of a fool’s mistake. Mukuro was still bitter and furious at himself for it, and he couldn’t even explain why. Emotions were a foreign area for him. Nagi was more adept in that department, though she was _too_ emotional (thanks to him—ah, he could be quite the joker). Mukuro had spent too much time latching onto things easily discarded and replaced. He thought people were the same, that they’d easily come and go. He again underestimated how short and fleeting lives were.

He may be coping in the worst ways possible, but all Mukuro needed was his sister and his mother. He would protect them with his life, he vowed. Of course, he never apologized to his sister for the terrible things he put her through but she was a smart girl. She knew. He wasn’t the hands-on type either. He preferred to pull strings from the shadows and sweet-talk his way into people’s heads before breaking them apart. Ah well, his mother was worse than he was.

So when Mukuro saw his little sister exit Namimori Elementary School with an equally petite brunet, he was suspicious and already thinking of ways to get the boy off Nagi’s back. He narrowed his eyes when the boy smiled brightly at Nagi and waved before taking off. His sister surprisingly returned the farewell and wave.

Her single violet eye brightened when she saw Mukuro by the gates, and she ran to his side. “Onii-san!”

Mukuro smiled. “Nagi-chan.” His blue eyes slightly narrowed when he noticed the Band-Aids on her knees. “What happened to your knees?”

Nagi smoothed out her skirt as if it’d grow longer and cover the Band-Aids. “Ah, I fell, Onii-san.”

“You fell?”

Mukuro was a walking lie-detector, and he unhappily admitted that he wouldn’t be breaking children’s minds today. Plus Nagi had lost her right eye in the accident a month ago, so it wasn’t a surprise that she did fall. She wasn’t clumsy, she was handicapped. Furthermore, Mukuro didn’t want to take any chances that his sister might be bullied. It was why they even moved from Kokuyo a few days ago. Mukuro didn’t mind though. Namimori was quite pleasant and his mother and sister thought the same.

Nagi chewed her lip. “I fell during lunch.” She looked down at her pristine dress shoes. “But Tsuna-kun helped me…”

The brunet from before flashed in Mukuro’s mind. “Who’s Tsuna-kun?”

“Oh, well”—Nagi fidgeted under her brother’s gaze—“he’s the one I waved to.”

Mukuro hummed to himself and ushered his sister towards the direction of their street. “I see. Is he nice?”

Nagi’s sullen face morphed instantly, a red blush painting her chubby cheeks. “Yes, he’s very nice. He took me to the nurse to get me Band-Aids and sat with me in lunch, too. Takeshi-kun is also very nice.” She giggled. “They’re both very silly.”

Mukuro couldn’t help but smile and ruffle Nagi’s hair. It was nice seeing her smile. She rarely had any reason to be happy (no thanks to him). Smiling was healthy; it meant good things. Maybe it wasn’t a bad choice to move here after all. Although, he’d keep an eye on this Tsuna-kun and Takeshi-kun. He just wanted to cover all of his bases. What was the harm in that?

Nagi, though, knew him too well. She tugged his sleeve with a scowl that looked more like a pout. “You’re not going to bother them, right? They really are nice. I like them.”

Mukuro patted her head. “Of course, Nagi-chan. What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t? I just want to make sure they’re treating you well. That’s all.”

His sister didn’t look convinced but she knew it was useless to deter him from whatever he set his mind to. “Please don’t chase them away. I do really like them. They called me their friend.”

Mukuro smiled thinly. “That’s what your _friends_ back in Kokuyo said, too.”

Nagi didn’t speak the rest of the way home.

* * *

True to his word, Mukuro kept an eye on Tsuna and his baseball-obsessed friend. He was first baffled by their energy, especially Tsuna. The brunet looked utterly harmless, adorable even, if Mukuro could ever admit it out loud; but the enthusiasm and passion that oozed from his small body was contagious, infecting anyone who paid attention to him.

Mukuro hated him.

Even if Nagi was smiling more, even if Nagi laughed at whatever Yamamoto did, even if Nagi spent more time talking about them than Mukuro liked, he still hated him.

Tsuna reminded him of his father. All passion and energy with no results—what was the point in that? Oh, Mukuro researched the boy, both of them actually. He knew about Tsuna’s love for volleyball, despite being laughed at by his peers. He could see why. Tsuna was smaller than most boys his age and seemed like more bark than bite, a harmless Chihuahua.

He despised the way Tsuna practiced after school and asked Yamamoto for help. What was the point in pouring all your energy into something so trivial? They were temporary, merely a hobby to pass the time. There were more things to focus on and where your energy was best spent. The school’s volleyball club kept Tsuna only as a water boy and the advisor was rarely around, too busy with Mukuro’s math teacher in the supply closet.

Mukuro had played on his old middle school’s team but left to take care of Nagi. Volleyball was just that: a hobby. He had only joined because Nagi was interested in the sport and he wanted to show her that he was better at it (and everything else) than she was. He definitely deserved the Brother of the Year award (sarcasm, people).

The other thing that annoyed him was that Tsuna quietly took the club’s criticism and watched them play dutifully from the sidelines. It also annoyed Yamamoto if his imperceptibly sharp eyes were any indication. The cheerful boy was actually quite dangerous like Mukuro: pleasant on the outside, venomous on the inside. It was amusing but Mukuro could see him as a potential threat.

He finally decided to leave the boys alone only to see Nagi smile more. Still, he didn’t dismiss the fact that Tsuna and his friend could corrupt Nagi’s mind. She was too trusting, too kind, too soft—anything could happen and Mukuro would not see her get hurt anymore.

He’d be waiting in the shadows like always and be more than happy to tear them apart if they made the slightest misstep. In fact, he hoped they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Mukuro's a happy chap, ain't he? :^)
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


	5. Chapter 5

_“Friends are the siblings God never gave us.”_ – Mencius

* * *

When Hayato first met Sawada Tsunayoshi, he immediately disliked him. Well, Hayato disliked everyone, except his mother, but he digressed.

After an intense custody battle in Italy—he never knew how terrifying his soft-spoken mother could be—Lavina took him away from his father’s family and moved back to an obscure place called Namimori in Japan, her hometown. Hayato had gone with her willingly, eager to forget the miserable life he had and start anew with the only person who ever showed him kindness.

There were many things Hayato couldn’t tolerate, ranging from stray eraser marks to stupid people, but the one thing he could tolerate was his kind and gentle mother. So when she told him that they’d be meeting up with some of her old friends, he just followed. This got an exasperatedly fond shake of her head that Hayato wasn’t so sure about, but he got a hug too, so he guessed that was okay.

When they entered the cab, the driver had said some things to his mother that made her only smile and laugh politely. Her unease wasn’t lost to Hayato so he made sure to glare at the back of the driver’s head. After none-too-subtly kicking the man’s chair when they arrived at their destination, Hayato made sure that the driver didn’t get too handsy when he helped his mother on her wheelchair. The driver left quickly after. Hayato couldn’t help but smile when Lavina patted his head as he pushed her through the small gates of a modest-looking home. He pressed the doorbell and a small tune rang inside.

“They also have boys your age, Hayato,” Lavina said with a bright smile. “It’d be wonderful if you became friends! They’re also attending your new school, too!”

“I’m fine,” Hayato said. He didn’t need friends. All he needed was his mother.

Lavina looked heartbroken, making him shift uncomfortably. “Will you try for me at least?” she said.

Hayato huffed. “ _Okay_.”

Lavina instantly brightened and clapped her hands, making Hayato think that he must’ve fell under another one of her traps. “Thank you, Hayato! You’re such a wonderful son!”

Thankfully, the door opened just in time to save Hayato from more embarrassment. A short boy with fluffy brown hair and caramel-brown eyes stood at the doorway. He glanced curiously at a smiling Lavina, which got him a harsh glare from Hayato, silently daring him to say anything. The brunet flinched but opened the door wider nonetheless. “Are you Lavina-san?” he said.

Lavina nodded. “Yes, and you must be Tsunayoshi-kun.”

Appeased by Lavina’s gentle nature, Tsuna smiled brightly. “You can call me Tsuna, Lavina-san! Ah, do you need help?”

“I’m fine, dear. Hayato is all the help I need!”

Hayato glared at Tsuna when he pushed his mother inside. The brunet ignored him admirably by moving shoes out of the way and closed the door behind them.

What followed was probably the strangest dinner Hayato ever sat in on. The people who talked the most was Yamamoto Amaya and her son, Takeshi, while her husband, Tsuyoshi, effortlessly reigned them in when they talked too much. Amaya was tall, easily the tallest woman there, with black hair tied in a ponytail and bright brown eyes. Takeshi looked like a mini version of Tsuyoshi but had his mother’s eyes and smile.

Hayato couldn’t follow their conversation for the life of him. Their attention span was that of a goldfish. One minute they were talking about baseball and players’ stats and in the next they talked about stray cats in the neighborhood and now…they were talking about confetti?

He could only stare in slight disgust and bafflement while the mother and son duo dominated the conversation at the dining table. Lavina seemed really happy though, laughing and even adding in a thought or two when she could, and that was enough for him to bear through this bizarre ordeal. Well, Tsuyoshi made really good sushi, too—he’d give him that.

On the other hand, the Sawada duo seemed tamer, though they tended to get excited too, especially when it came to recounting their old volleyball days—well, more like the women’s volleyball days, but Tsuna seemed just as thrilled.

“Ah, I missed this,” Amaya said, grinning. “I even miss Elda. Anyone know how she’s doing?” She perked up. “Oh, remember that game we had against Kokuyo?”

Tsuna immediately brightened. “Which one, Amaya-oba-chan?”

Amaya grinned mischievously. “Well, it was when we first met Elda. She was the middle blocker on the other team. We were in what, high school?”

Nana nodded as she peeled an apple. “Yes, one of our first matches, too. The very first actually.”

“Oh, oh, and what happened?” Tsuna said, nearly standing on his chair.

Hayato had to move his cup away before the brunet could knock it over. He glared at Tsuna’s elbow while Lavina giggled.

“Elda was a bi—Uh, rude?” Amaya laughed sheepishly when Tsuyoshi gave her a pointed look. “Anyways, we actually lost to them, but there was no denying that she was a really good player. Had a weird way of blocking but it worked for her. Never understood it. One moment you’d think that she’d go to the left and then all of a sudden, she’s in your face and smacking the ball back in your face.” Amaya growled. “She always did that to me.”

Takeshi laughed. “That sounds funny, kaa-chan. Did it hurt a lot?”

Hayato narrowed his eyes. Was it possible for a kid to be this stupid?

Amaya laughed, too. “Of course, it did! Elda was a skinny thing but she was strong! Oh, and Lavina was the only one who could make her do anything.”

Blinking, Hayato stared at his blushing mother. 

“Ah, well, she’s not all that difficult to talk to,” Lavina said.

Nana chuckled. “Well, Elda was always demanding, but without her, we wouldn’t have gone so far.” There was a wistful edge in her voice. “I really do miss everyone. Oh, and Tsu-kun is thinking of joining the volleyball team in Namimori Middle. Isn’t that great?”

Lavina smiled brightly. “That sounds wonderful, Tsuna-kun! Why, I would do anything to play again!”

Hayato scowled when the sheepish brunet mumbled some shy thanks; however, his mind was reeling at the fact that his  _mother_  had played  _volleyball_. She was a wonderful pianist, so imagining her hitting volleyballs across the court was difficult to imagine.

Ayama pouted. “Takeshi, what about you? Why don’t you give volleyball a go, huh? I promise that it’s really fun!”

Takeshi just smiled at her. “I want to join the baseball team!” 

“Tsuyoshi, fix your mistake.”

The said man rolled his eyes. “Baseball was and still is  _your_  obsession too, dear.”

Lavina quickly intervened before Ayama could punch her husband in the face. “Well, what were you thinking of doing, Tsuna-kun?”

Now, Hayato knew what volleyball was, but he was never privy to the rules. All he knew was that it was basically hitting a ball over the net countless times before one team screwed up and missed. Nothing really spectacular. He preferred archery; it was quiet and required less sweat. Plus, it was a solo sport (he’d  _never_  join a team).

Tsuna rubbed the back of his head. “I was thinking about being a libero.”

Grinning, Ayama pinched his cheek. “Oh, just like your mother.”

Tsuna nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, because the libero makes sure that the ball never touches the court and everyone gets to hit it over the net! It also looks really cool! You’re running everywhere and it’s the best feeling ever when you pass the ball to a teammate! Kaa-chan said that as long as the ball never hits the ground, the game isn’t over! So it’s my job to make sure it never does!”

Hayato furrowed his brows, unconsciously storing the term away in his mind. “Libero” meant “free” in Italian and with what little information Tsuna gave, he supposed it fit. Still, it was unnerving at how his mother smiled nostalgically while Tsuna talked.

“Nana was a wonderful libero,” Lavina said. “Why, she was one of the best liberoes Japan has ever seen!”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Nana said, smiling. “Don’t forget that you were also an amazing setter, too.”

Hayato widened his eyes. “Is that true, Mama?”

Lavina blinked. “Ah, well…”

“Come on, don’t tell me you never told him about your glory days,” Ayama said. “Your mother was a hel— _great_  setter. She made loads of close calls that saved us tons of time. Oh, like in—”

“Midori High!” Tsuna said, his eyes wide and sparkling. “Lavina-san, when you made that dump shot in the last minute, that was so  _cool_! You should’ve seen the other team’s faces!”

Lavina blushed. “Ah, that was nothing, Tsuna-kun. If Elda and Ayama hadn’t blocked the ball a second time, we wouldn’t have been able to go on to the next set.”

“Geez, don’t sell yourself short,” Ayama said. “You were just as important to the team like everyone else. Every point matters.”

Nana nodded. “Yes, so don’t put yourself down like that, Lavina-chan. And, Tsu-kun, it’s not polite to interrupt someone while they’re talking.” 

Tsuna flushed. “Ah, I’m sorry, kaa-chan.”

Takeshi laughed. “Tsuna always gets excited when it comes to volleyball.”

Ayama slung an arm over Takeshi’s shoulders. “Come on, Takeshi! Give it a shot! I bet you’d make a great spiker! Maybe a blocker, too.”

“I like baseball though.” 

“Volleyball is  _so_ much more fun!”

Hayato jumped when a small plate of sliced apples slid in front of him. He looked up to see Tsuna smile at him. “Here, Gokudera-san! Do you like apples?” he said.

Hayato pursed his lips, resisting the urge to retort with a smartass comment. And where were all those sparkles and flowers were coming from? He felt a small pinch on his leg, making him tense. Lavina gave him an innocent smile. Like hell he’d say thank you.

“Thank you, Tsuna-kun,” she said. “He does. That’s very sweet of you.”

Tsuna still looked a bit unsure but nodded and returned to whatever conversation the others were having. Hayato didn’t touch the apples.

After Ayama and Tsuyoshi offered to give them a ride back home, Hayato immediately searched some videos of his mother’s volleyball team. He was just upset that he wasn’t privy to this part of her life, even though he barely got to see her while he lived with his father. They had bonded over the piano on their very short meetings, and only grew closer after her car accident. So yeah, he might be a little irritated that he didn’t know about this but apparently Tsuna did.

“What are you doing, Hayato?”

Hayato nearly jumped out of his skin when Lavina wheeled into his room. The video of one of her matches was playing loudly on his screen and he tried not to stutter too much in embarrassment. “I—Well—I just wanted…to see.”

Lavina smiled as she drew closer to his desk. Hayato couldn’t pinpoint the look in her eyes when she watched what a younger Ayama jump high in the air with another girl to block a harsh spike.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Hayato said. “I thought you’d tell me everything about you.”

Lavina chuckled. “I never thought you’d be so interested in this, Hayato.”

“That brat knew and I didn’t.”

“Don’t call Tsuna-kun that. It’s not nice.”

Hayato pulled a face that was a mix between a scowl and a pout. Well, he’d call it a scowl because he didn’t do pouts. “It’s not fair. It looks like a dumb sport, too.” 

“I thought the same thing.”

Hayato blinked. “What? Then why did you join?”

A fond smile curved on Lavina’s lips. “I preferred books to running and was never a strong child. But I found friends in the sport, people who supported me in and out of the court, and I never regretted joining them. They became my friends, my sisters, my  _famiglia_.” She reached out to take a hold of Hayato’s hand, her hand cool against his warm skin. “And I hope you can find that here too,  _bambino_.”

“I only need you.”

Lavina smiled sadly, which made Hayato instantly feel like crap. “I thought the same too, when I was your age. I always thought that all I needed was my grandmother. But later, you’ll realize how lonely it is when you don’t have many precious people in your life. That was why I came here,  _bambino_ —for you. I want you to make friends. I don’t want you to have any regrets when you’re older.”

Hayato scowled but couldn’t ignore the worry in his mother’s voice. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t promise anything.”

“Just try. For me,  _bambino_?”

A moment of silence passed before Hayato slumped in defeat. He glanced at the video again to see his younger mother set the ball fluidly to an intimidating girl, who spiked the ball with tremendous strength. Swallowing a small lump in his throat, he nodded. “Okay.”

Lavina kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Hayato.”

Hayato just flushed and scowled at his computer. “So, what did you exactly do anyways?”

The joy that enveloped his mother’s face and smile was enough to keep him at bay for now.

* * *

School was a pain in the ass.

It wasn’t difficult for Hayato to catch up since academics were never an issue for him. It was just the fact that he had to be surrounded by idiots for seven hours a day t. Even though he promised his mother that he’d make  _friends_ , everyone was making it difficult for him. Teachers were terrified of him and the female population was strangely taken with him. He wasn’t all that comfortable with the lovey-dovey attention so he scared them off easily (though they always came back anyways).

All in all, nothing really happened. Takeshi always invited him to eat with him, Tsuna, and Nagi for lunch, and Hayato was always subconsciously guilt-tripped by his mother’s sad smile to sit with them. Surprisingly, they weren’t all that bad—well, Takeshi could get on his nerves just as much as everyone else, if not  _worse_. Hayato wondered if he was dropped as a baby.

Tsuna was actually quieter in school, but seemed to brighten up whenever volleyball was mentioned. He had asked Hayato once about his mother’s volleyball days, but never asked again when he got a terrifying glare in response. Most of the time it was easy to forget that Nagi was even with them. She rarely spoke but when she did, Hayato had to wonder if she was some kind of ghost or a secret UMA.

When the dismissal bell rang, Hayato was the first to leave. However, a loud shout made him stop short.

“Gokudera-san!”

Hayato blinked when Tsuna suddenly appeared in front of him. It was always mind-boggling to see the brunet’s speed up-close, but he scowled when he remembered that Tsuna wanted to be a libero. He remembered seeing a younger Nana in some videos—she sometimes blurred to the other side of the court to dive and send the ball flying back to her teammates.

“What?” Hayato said. “Hurry up and spit it out.”

“Do you want to watch a volleyball match with us?” Tsuna said, his eyes shining with hope. “It’s a mock match with another school, so it’s not official or anything.”

Hayato scowled. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Maa, it’d be fun if we could all go together!” Takeshi said, catching up with them.

Nagi trailed behind him, careful not to bump into other students. Hayato was always curious why she always wore an eyepatch but kept his mouth shut. Hey, he had some tact. Give him some credit. Plus, Nagi wasn’t as annoying as everyone else. She was tolerable.

“Please?” Tsuna said, clasping his hands. “I promise to never bother you for your homework for a whole week.”

Hayato rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t last a week, much less a  _day_.”

Tsuna flailed his arms ridiculously in the air. “Yes, I can!”

“I’m not going.”

Tsuna blocked Hayato from stepping forward, his eyes suddenly flashing a golden-amber that made Hayato’s breath hitch. That was most definitely a trick of the light, right?

“Please, or I’ll tell Lavina-san!”

Hayato resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. He clicked his tongue. “ _Fine_ , but I’m not staying long.”

Tsuna pumped a fist in the air. “Yes!”

Hayato promptly burned the small buzz of warmth in his chest to ashes. Ten minutes, he thought with gritted teeth. Just ten minutes.

* * *

“What the hell is this?”

Takeshi laughed. “You shouldn’t say bad words, Gokudera.”

“Shut up, baseball idiot. You can’t tell me what to do.”

Nagi shifted uncomfortably on the bench, her bag clutched tightly to her chest. “Don’t fight, Yamamoto-kun, Gokudera-san.”

Her voice was so quiet, Hayato had to strain his ears to make sure he caught what she said. Either way, that didn’t distract him from the pathetic display of volleyball in front of him. Granted the players were only elementary students, it was still pathetic.

“I’m leaving,” he said, grabbing his bag.

Nagi widened her eye. “Oh, Gokudera-san, you shouldn’t—”

“Heads up!” someone shouted from the court.

Hayato could only gape when a stray volleyball soared towards his face. Suddenly, a blur of brown and blue leapt in front of him and caught the ball easily with small hands. Takeshi reached out to steady Tsuna’s landing, which got him a nod and smile in thanks. The brunet frowned when he looked down at Hayato. “Are you okay, Gokudera-san?” he said. “You should be careful. Sometimes they don’t really pay attention to where they spike the ball.”

Hayato blinked before sputtering out a reply, “I—I’m fine. You didn’t have to do  _that_.”

He didn’t like the knowing smile on Tsuna’s face. The brunet threw the volleyball back to a scowling teammate and slumped down next to him. “Thanks for catching my landing, Takeshi!” he said, grinning.

Takeshi gave him a thumbs-up. “No problem!”

Somehow, this irritated Hayato more than he realized. Without knowing why, he sat back down, trying to process what just happened. He could see why Tsuna would be a good libero—he had the speed, the stamina, and the instincts. However, he didn’t get why the brunet was stuck as a water boy for the (pathetic) volleyball team. He shook his head. Why was he thinking about this all of a sudden?

“Are you okay, Gokudera-san?” Nagi said.

“Fine,” Hayato said roughly. 

“Tsuna-kun does that a lot.” 

Hayato raised a brow. “Does what a lot?”

Nagi smiled almost mysteriously. “He’s always there for his friends.”

Hayato mused over her words for a while. Friends… Was that what he was to Tsuna? He didn’t really feel that way towards him though.

Tsuna turned to him with a smile. “Hey, Gokudera-san, what do you think about them?”

Hayato clicked his tongue. “Terrible. Our setter’s never tossing at the right height for his spikers and our blockers aren’t jumping high enough. The other team is crap, too.”

Tsuna laughed. “Yeah.” He gazed wistfully at the court. “It makes me kind of happy that I’m not playing with them.”

Hayato frowned. “Then who do you want to play with?”

A small smile curved on Tsuna’s lips. “Who knows? But I know it’s not them.”

“Sawada! What are you doing up there? Where’s our water?”

Tsuna stood up. “Oh well, duty calls! I’ll be right back! Coming,  _senpai_!”

After Tsuna dashed down the bleachers to pass water bottles to the frustrated players, Hayato found himself lost in deep thought again. He fiddled with his ring, a birthday gift that his mother gave him last year.

“I thought you wanted to leave, Gokudera,” Takeshi said, grinning.

Hayato scowled. “Shut up.”

Yamamoto just laughed. Hayato rolled his eyes and leaned his chin on top of his open palm. Maybe his mother was right after all, he thought, watching Tsuna give an enthusiastic cheer for their team that no one acknowledged.

Maybe…he could try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now all they have to do is assemble. :^D
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


End file.
